


The Kind Violin

by DiCreation



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Blue Balls, Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Christmas, Depression, Drug Abuse, Drug Addict Klaus Hargreeves, Drug Addiction, Drugs, Dysfunctional Family, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Feelings, Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gen, Homelessness, Hospital, Hospitalization, Hurt, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves nearly dies, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Loneliness, Music, Mutual Pining, Pain, Pining, Protective Siblings, References to Drugs, Sadness, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Siblings, Sickness, Teasing, feeling worthless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-20 05:08:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20669822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiCreation/pseuds/DiCreation
Summary: ...Later, when they all barely got out alive from their childhood home which Vanya destroyed, and gathered in a bowling alley, Luther suddenly asked, “So, Klaus! Since when do you care about Vanya so much?”“Yeah, Klaus, what’s up with that? I don’t remember you guys ever being close” – Diego pitched in. – “Never!” – Allison wrote on her pad. Five just squinted at him.“Screw you, guys, okay?! It’s all your fault, especially yours” – He pointed at Luther. “Vanya is a good person. You just drove her over the edge. Actually, she… well, she’s been kinder to me than any of you have ever been”.Allison raised her brows. Luther and Diego both looked puzzled. “Elaborate” – Five said.Klaus hesitated for a moment. He didn’t really want to talk about it. But who knows, maybe it could help Vanya, and help them solve this terrible, terrible mess… So he just told them.





	1. Merry Fucking Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story within a story, which takes place several years prior to the Apocalypse. Reginald Hargreeves is still alive, Five is still missing, and Klaus is a homeless drug addict. One day he collapses in the middle of the street and lands in a hospital...

“Sorry, let’s just go back, all right?!” – Klaus begged. “This is Vanya we’re talking about. Our sister. The one who always cried when we stepped on ants as kids”.  
“Look, I know it’s hard to accept…” – Luther started, but Klaus interrupted him, “It’s not hard to accept, it’s impossible to accept! Look, for all we know – she might be struggling with this new power. I mean, it must be scary. Terrifying, really”.  
Later, when they all barely got out alive from their childhood home which Vanya destroyed, and gathered in a bowling alley, Luther suddenly asked, “So, Klaus! Since when do you care about Vanya so much?”  
“Yeah, Klaus, what’s up with that? I don’t remember you guys ever being close” – Diego pitched in. – “Never!” – Allison wrote on her pad. Five just squinted at him.  
“Screw you, guys, okay?! It’s all your fault, especially yours” – He pointed at Luther. “Vanya is a good person. You just drove her over the edge. Actually, she… well, she’s been kinder to me than any of you have ever been”.  
Allison raised her brows. Luther and Diego both looked puzzled. “Elaborate” – Five said.  
Klaus hesitated for a moment. He didn’t really want to talk about it. But who knows, maybe it could help Vanya, and help them solve this terrible, terrible mess… So he just told them.  
***  
At about 3 AM, patrolling officers found Klaus’s unconscious body lying on a snow behind recreation center. As there was no ID on him, they just dropped him off in the nearest hospital.  
Tests showed signs of malnutrition and mild anemia, traces of alcohol and THC, Hepatitis B, Chlamydia and alarming levels of benzodiazepines. HIV-negative. X-ray confirmed a broken arm and acute pneumonia.  
Klaus woke up to a white ceiling, distant beeping and hospital smells. His right arm was latched to an IV drip. Funny thing, he thought he might wake up with another sort of needle in his arm. Or maybe not wake up at all. He tried to move his left arm and discovered that it was clad in cast. Shit. Since he was a lefty, it was a major bummer.  
His entire body felt like it was shuttered into thousand pieces and put together with some duct tape. His mouth felt completely dry, his throat was burning. While he was unconscious, someone has cleaned him up and dressed him in an embarrassing hospital gown. The pillow felt crinkly and papery, and really hot. His bed was near the window, but all he could see was the sky – dirty-white and completely empty.  
Just like his life.  
A grim nurse came by, checked his vitals, pricked his finger, scribbled something in the chart and left. A cute male orderly came to change his catheter. Any other day he’d gladly pin him to the wall and give him full physical, but now he just clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, wishing to dissolve into the mattress, to disappear. After some time another nurse came, changed the IV bag and took his temperature without even looking at him. She seemed tired.  
He also felt tired – exhausted, actually. It was hard to keep his eyes open. He kept drifting in and out of it.  
An intern tried to take medical history, but Klaus had no freaking idea where he came from and whether diabetes, schizophrenia and heart disease ran in the family. Another orderly brought him some food, but Klaus couldn’t even look at it.  
It was almost Christmas time. There were decorations in the halls, and some of the staff were sporting Santa hats.  
Christmas was never celebrated in Hargreeves residency, so as a kid, Klaus was always jealous of people celebrating. End even though now he knew it was all just commercialized crap, deep down Christmas represented for him all the things he always wanted but never really had: Home. Family. Love. Or at least someone who gives a fuck.  
Dude, you’re so fucking cheesy, - He told himself.

Two days went by, or maybe even three – Klaus wasn’t sure, he was drowsy most of the time. Well, at least it kept the ghosts away. Liz, the intern, told him he’ll have to stay there for a while, due to his condition. Well, it’s not like he had anywhere to go anyway.  
It seemed like everybody else were having visitors. Family members, friends, significant others, sometimes even co-workers. This guy next bed had his college buddies around him all day long, they were watching sports on the laptop, playing some stupid games and laughing a lot. Dude’s mom came in a flight from another city, with a crocheted blanket and homemade cookies. On his first day here Liz asked him if there was someone she could contact for him, and Klaus just shook his head. Whom he was going to call? Ben in the afterlife? Luther on the moon? Five, wherever he was? Dad?! Allison was a big Hollywood star, he could buy a movie ticket if he wanted to see her. And he had no idea what was going on with Vanya and Diego. Diego was in the police academy last time he heard, few years ago. Klaus had a bad history with cops.  
So nobody knew he was in a hospital, and nobody cared. He could have died, and nobody would even notice. It wouldn’t matter at all. To absolutely nobody. Not even to him.  
To tell the truth, he wouldn’t mind dying, especially now. Wouldn’t mind it at all. In fact, he’d much rather be dead.  
Uh, heck. He really wished to die. Period.  
He is just a useless, worthless bum nobody gives a shit about, with nobody to blame but himself. He overheard Liz consulting her attending about changing his antibiotics, referring to him as “the junkie”. And there he was, thinking she actually liked him. Well, honestly, he had it coming, but still it stung.  
At the afternoon there was a music concert. Volunteers from the City orchestra came to spread some Christmas cheer.  
Well, it’s not like he had anything better to do. Leaning heavily on his IV pole and resting every few yards, coughing and wheezing like a dying old dog, he managed to get to the auditorium downstairs. On the stage, a bespectacled guy was tuning a piano, another one was tampering with a cello. There also were two girls with violins – a tall, pretty Asian chick, and his sister Vanya.  
She was even smaller than he remembered. Slumped shoulders, defeated posture. Suddenly she lifted her head, and their eyes crossed. Vanya’s eyes widened, her mouth opened a little bit. But then the pianist raised his hand, and the three of them lifted their bows. Another sign, and they began to play.  
Klaus turned around and began inching awkwardly towards the door, bumping into people and wheelchairs. He could feel Vanya’s eyes burning holes in his back.  
This little escapade totally drained him, so the moment his head touched the pillow he dozed off, as if sinking without a trace into ink-black water.  
…there are monsters in this water. He can’t see them, but he knows they are here, with their white eyes and rotten faces, with their grave-cold bony fingers reaching out for him. And they have an advantage, because unlike him, they can see him just perfectly with their blind eyes in those pitch-black waters. They are getting closer, surrounding him. He can’t breathe. He should get to the surface, grab some air. But he can’t. Can’t breathe, can’t move. Their tenacious hands grabbing his legs, his arms, pulling him down. Air!..  
Klaus felt something touching his cheek and woke up with a stifled cry.  
First thing he saw was Vanya’s concerned face and her big brown eyes, wide with worry. The thing touching his face was her hand, she was probably trying to wake him up. He started coughing, still panting and wheezing, trying to draw some air. She pushed a button, propping the bed into a sitting position, and pulled an oxygen mask from the wall behind him, pressing it to his face. “Relax, Klaus. Just breathe. Slowly. In and out. That’s it”. She held his right hand in hers and breathed along with him – taking slow, deep breaths, while looking him in the eye.  
“How do you know all this shit?” – He asked hoarsely, once he could speak again. Vanya fluffed his pillow and put it behind his back.  
“I was taking care of a sick lady while putting myself through a music school” – She replied. “That’s it, just keep breathing. Are you okay?”  
“Peachy”- He made a pathetic attempt at a smile. “Never better”.  
Vanya looked at him. He was so thin and pale, chapped lips, dark circles around his bright green eyes. One of his collarbones showed through the opening of his hospital gown, and there was something so vulnerable about this, it almost made her cry. Her brother Klaus, always so giddy and flamboyant, frolicking around, making jokes, unable to stay still even for a minute.  
“You’re shivering” – She noted, and touched her palm to his forehead; he was burning up. – “Ah, it’s just this new thing I’m trying” – Klaus muttered. She took off her large scarf, which turned out to be more of a shawl really, and wrapped it carefully around his shoulders. It was surprisingly soft, and still kept the warmth of Vanya’s body. Then she tucked the hospital blanket all around him.  
This made him feel strangely protected.  
“What about you?” – He asked. – “It’s okay, my coat is pretty warm. And the subway is near by”.  
A nurse marched through the rooms, reminding everybody the visitation hours were over.  
“I’ll be back tomorrow” – Vanya promised. She made an awkward gesture, as if considering to hug him, but ended up just lightly brushing his shoulder.


	2. Chicken Soup for Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya comes back to visit Klaus in the hospital and brings him some chicken soup, which for him is so much more than just a soup. They are talking and bonding and slowly open up to each other.   
So maybe at least some good comes out of this deeply traumatized and very dysfunctional family?

He wasn’t sure she would come back, but he was grateful for the time she spent with him. For her just being there, for not asking questions, for not criticizing or judging him. For the hour and a half the chair at his bedside wasn’t empty.

“Your girlfriend?” – College guy asked after she left. – “Sister”, - Klaus replied nonchalantly, like there was nothing to it. **_See, I also have visitors_**. “She seems nice. My sister is such a douche”, - The guy complained, and they talked for a while, for the first time since Klaus got here.

Vanya came back the next afternoon, while he was napping (in a sitting position, as he found out it was easier to breathe this way). When he opened his eyes, she was sitting quietly by his side, reading something. “Oh, hi” – He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “What time is it?”

“It’s around four” – She closed her book and put it in her bag. “How are you feeling?” - “Like shit” – He admitted. “Besides, those make-believe drugs are no fun”.

“What make-believe drugs?!”

The doctors decided his body couldn’t withstand a drug withdrawal in its current condition. So until he got stronger, they were giving him something to replace the narcotics he was taking, slowly reducing the dosage. Whatever it was, it kept away the withdrawal symptoms, but didn’t give him any buzz.

“I brought you something” – She carefully pulled out of her bag a thermal cup and a spoon. “The nurse told me you don’t eat anything.” - “I’m just not hungry” – He shrugged. She suddenly laughed quietly. “Hospital food sucks, I know! I had my appendix removed last year”.

_ Last year!_ He had no idea. Was someone there with her in the hospital? Was she all alone? Suddenly he felt a pang of guilt. Sadness, too.

She removed the lid, and delicious, potent aroma filled the room, defeating the smells of medicine and despair. Klaus peered in: chicken soup with vegetables and noodles. Unexpectedly, his mouth watered. “Did you make this?” – He asked, surprised. Vanya blushed a little. “I wouldn’t know a first thing about making a soup” – She admitted. “My neighbor, she has a big family. She gave me some, and I just wanted to share it with you”. She omitted the fact that it was **ALL** the soup she’s got.

“Thanks” – Klaus said. Suddenly his eyes were all itchy, he hurried and wiped them before Vanya noticed anything. He tried eating, but it was pretty hard with one hand, which wasn’t even his dominant one. Vanya gently took the cup from him, spooned the soup and brought it to his mouth. Yep, there it was – a soup cooked for your nearest and dearest, made with love. Mom’s soup. Klaus felt sweet warmth spreading through his body.

“Thanks, sis. You are amazing. The woman you were taking care of was sooo lucky”.

“Not really. She battled cancer and suffered a lot. She died two years ago”.

The next day Vanya came again, right after her orchestra rehearsals. Her quiet demeanor really started growing on him. She was more of a listener, not talking much, just smiling and nodding sympathetically most of the time, and asking questions just in the right places. And although talking wasn’t easy (because breathing wasn’t easy, and he had to use the oxygen mask from time to time), Klaus enjoyed telling her stories of his life on the wild side. He was a good storyteller, and he enjoyed seeing her fascinated, amused, scandalized. He particularly enjoyed making her laugh – first she was just giggling shyly into her palm, but as time passed by , she loosened up and started laughing for real, though still covering her mouth from time to time. Each time she laughed out loud, he felt a little proud, like he actually accomplished something.

Bit by bit, she started talking a little more, too. They were never close before, and he suddenly realized Vanya was actually really sweet and kind and intelligent. He also realized she was the most unappreciated of his siblings, and very unjustly so.

His day wasn’t as dull anymore. He had something to anticipate. Someone to talk to. Suddenly, he wasn’t alone anymore. Maybe he wasn’t so hopeless, after all.

When Sean, the cute orderly, gave him a sponge bath, he accidentally scraped his skin with his watch. “I’m so sorry”, - He muttered. Klaus looked like his own ghost, but flirty sparkles lit up his eyes, which now looked huge on his emaciated face. “Oh, it’s okay” – He winked. “I like it a little rough!” Sean turned away, but Klaus noticed he was biting his lip, trying not to smile. Still got it, Klaus thought, and somehow, that made him feel better, even though he realized that right now, he doesn’t stand a chance with this hunk, and it’s not even sure he was inclined that way.


	3. Under your skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little POV by Sean, a.k.a the cute orderly :)

***  
Sean Velasquez, aka The Cute Orderly, identified as bisexual. He identified as bisexual even though he mostly dated women. And even though he was mostly interested in men.  
He worked as an orderly for nearly three years now. It wasn’t the best job in the world, but it wasn’t the worst, either. It was steady, it paid the bills, and the insurance was swell. It gave him an opportunity to save up for college and help his mom. And he wasn’t squeamish, so he didn’t really mind.

On his very first training day they told him to think of all the patients as corpses. Of course, you should be nice, and polite, and respectful, but keep in mind they are already dead. This way you don’t lose patients, you only save them. And don’t get personal, don’t get involved, don’t get attached no matter what.  
So he never did. Kept his head down and his nose clean, did his job and minded his own business. Being a man, he was mostly assigned to male patients. Some of them were attractive. Some even seemed into him. But he never gave it much thought. It was just work. He was going about it just as he would go about mowing a lawn or changing oil or washing dishes.  
Until this guy came along. Klaus Hargreeves. Such a weird-ass name, sounds made up, right?.. 

First he thought nothing of him, just another “corpse” brought to ER by the cops in the middle of the night. One more street junkie, checked out and nearly frozen to death. Skinny, drug-ridden and STDs-infested.  
Then the guy opened his eyes, and it rocked Sean’s world.

And it’s not like he’s never seen a pretty pair of eyes before. He’s just never seen anything quite like this.  
There was so much pain in them, so much sadness and defeat- those eyes could cut you raw and skin you alive. But there were also sparkles of playfulness, some good-hearted mischief. Sean especially liked the way Klaus cocked his head sidewise and raised a brow, while gently teasing his sister – he looked adorable at those moments, despite his overall condition. There was definitely a spirit in there, battered but not broken.

Once he opened his eyes, Sean suddenly realized how beautiful his face was, even now.  
He was all skin and bones, but under that skin his muscles were lean and toned, telling a story of the better days this guy used to know.  
So okay, maybe he was pretty hot, or at least used to be. But that wasn’t the issue. Sean was used to tending to attractive men – far more attractive then Klaus, objectively speaking, but he has never thought of human body as sexy in terms of work. It was just an object that needed cleaning, shaving, lifting, turning around, changing a diaper or a catheter. Sometimes this object produced filth – in a form of human waste, vomit or blood, which he had to clean. Sometimes he had to bring them a tray of food, or restrain somebody who went bananas. That was all.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think of Klaus as a corpse, or an inanimate object. There was something about this guy, some strange magnetism that not necessarily had anything to do with his looks. Something Sean found himself absolutely helpless against.  
For the first time since he began working here he felt painfully aware about touching another person’s body, let alone in somewhat intimate way – with nothing but thin latex gloves separating skin from skin. He could tell Klaus was clearly uncomfortable with that, especially at first, and he tried his very best to do his job as quickly and as gently as possible, but his hands were getting all shaky and clumsy instead. They had a mind of their own, longing to caress Klaus’s emaciated body, gently massage his shoulders, ruffle his dark hair. He wanted to kiss his long neck, savor those dry cracked lips, without thinking of infection or consequences or anything at all. The things he would do to this boy, have they met in different circumstances. For the first time ever, Sean had a hard time keeping himself at bay, constantly reminding himself that he was NOT some sort of creep taking advantage of sick people.

And sick Klaus was. The doctors were battling infection from both pneumonia and hep B, but it was spreading like a wild fire. There were complications: his drug tolerance jeopardized the effectiveness of meds; his low body weight didn’t allow them to increase the dosage beyond certain limit; his immune system and his body in general were compromised by his lifestyle, unable to fight the infection on its own and leaving him vulnerable to, well, practically everything.  
The doctors were concerned about a possibility of sepsis, infection getting to his heart and brain. They anticipated liver failure, lungs failure, heart failure. They were worried about Klaus developing cirrhosis or liver cancer as a result of ravaging hepatitis. 

Sean has seen many, many very sick people during these years. Some of them didn’t make it. And sure, it was sad, but it was like… circle of life or something. No time to get too sappy about it, too, because lots of new patients were brought right in, needing his attention. Just like some fucking conveyor. So yeah, Sean wasn’t a heartless person, but he had to adjust in order to keep this job. Grow a thicker skin, find another perspective.

None of this worked with Klaus, though. Unexpectedly, he found himself terrified that Klaus might die. He felt that somehow, his own life would never be the same if he did.  
All of Sean’s encounters with men were mostly sexual. To scratch that itch, to satisfy that need. But this… he actually cared about Klaus. He was developing – a crush?.. Feelings?.. Falling for him? What is it even called, that dangerous pit in his stomach every time he was around Klaus?..

That was not a good thing, and not just because Klaus was a patient in his ward. Not even because Sean refused to admit even to himself that he was, in fact, gay.  
He has seen people like that. They were trouble. They were a recipe for disaster, a train to hell which you couldn’t possibly stop – only move out of its way or get trampled. Sean just couldn’t afford getting caught in all that. 

Still, he felt a pang in his heart each time he looked at Klaus. He found it harder and harder to resist, not to respond, each time Klaus was flirting with him – even though the guy could hardly breathe. (He is flirting with me, right?.. I’m not imagining it?) Of course, it would be totally unethical, unprofessional, irresponsible and potentially disastrous.  
But it’s almost Christmas. It’s okay to give someone a small Christmas gift, right?.. It’s a freaking Christmas, for god’s sake!  
If he could have it his way, Sean would buy him pajamas. A nice cozy flannel pajamas, to get him out of these fucking scrubs, to make him feel more comfortable. All warm and fuzzy. But Sean knew it was waaaay too much. Too expensive, too personal, too out-of-blue. It had to be something really small. Really casual. Something that says “I care”, but at the same time – “Whatever, merry Christmas, dude!” 

He twisted his brains inside out trying to think of something.


	4. Starry night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally Christmas eve, and Klaus knows he's going to spend it all alone, in the hospital, bedridden. No presents or festivities for him. But he's up to a surprise...

***

The next day was Christmas Eve, and Klaus told himself he would treat it just like any other day, but the cheery commotion was everywhere. A group of kids was going around singing carols and distributing sweets. A Santa passed through the hallway, probably on his way to the pediatric ward. Everybody were exchanging gifts and talking about their holiday plans – it seemed that everybody had somewhere to be. And even the staff members pulling the Christmas shift were planning Christmas branches/dinners on the next day and expecting to find their gifts under the tree once their shift was over. They were bringing treats into their break room and sharing a comradery of people celebrating Christmas at work together.

Sean came to clean him up. “ You… khgh… will have to buy me a drink first” – Klaus blurted between the coughs. He almost got used to the awkwardness of it, and otherwise, Sean’s touch wasn’t unpleasant. He was touching him so gently, almost tenderly, and Klaus decided he’d enjoy it. It was, after all, a human touch, a physical human contact, and he missed it so much. Klaus decided to milk it a little and asked Sean if he could rub his stiff neck. To his great surprise, Sean obliged, and it felt really nice. Sean’s hands were warm and gentle even through the gloves. 

Just before he left, Sean dropped casually, “Oh, by the way, I got you a lil’ something. Merry Christmas!” – And he placed a small package in Klaus’s lap wrapped neatly in a gift paper. – “Thanks”, - Klaus replied, astonished. He waited for Sean to leave and then opened it, using his teeth and right hand.

It was a pair of socks. Bright-yellow socks with little SpongeBob’s all over them. It was weird and silly and colorful, and put a big childish grin on his face. He loved them, but he loved even more the fact that Sean actually kept him in mind.

Klaus did not expect to see Vanya that day, but she came even earlier than usually, since she didn’t have any rehearsals or private lessons. It must have been snowing outside – the snowflakes were melting in her hair, her cheeks rosy with frost.

“Vanya! What are you doing here?! “

“I thought it would be nice if we spent the Christmas Eve together” – She replied nonchalantly, as if it was the most normal thing ever. – “Look, I appreciate it, I really do, but you honestly don’t have to, okay? I mean, I’m sure you’ve got better stuff to do than…” – Klaus glanced at her face and mentally kicked himself in the balls. Of course she didn’t. None of them did. Still, she would be better off at home, relaxing with her music and a good book and a cup of tea, rather than dragging herself all the way to a stinking hospital in cold and snow.

“I’m sorry, sis” – His faint hand caught hers, pulling her closer until she sat on the edge of his bed. “I’d be delighted to spend Christmas with you! Hey, I actually got something for you” – With effort, he rummaged under his pillow and pulled out the little bag of sweets he got from the kids. Vanya smiled. It was a small, uncertain smile, but at least she wasn’t angry with him.

“Thank you” – She said. “I brought you a gift, too”.

Klaus wanted to thank her, but started coughing violently, hacking up his lungs. He covered his mouth with his arm, and peering above the elbow, his eyes were helpless and apologetic.

In a pretty little box with a ribbon there was a tiny MP3 player with a pair of ear buds. He could see it was a cheap Chinese model, but still he was impressed. He lost his iPod (or maybe it was stolen while he lay unconscious) and he really missed his music.

“I wanted to play you something to cheer you up” – She said quietly, “But I didn’t want to bother the others. So I recorded it and put it in here. I also downloaded few playlists with songs you like. And there’s a radio, too”. – “How do you know what kind of music I like?!” – Klaus asked, surprised. She blushed slightly. “I took the songs you used to play back home as a reference” – She explained.

Klaus had no idea she used to pay attention to his music. He doubted any of the others knew his musical preferences.

He played Vanya’s music first. It was a beautiful piece, which started kind of slow but then picked up. “I love it! What is it?” – “ ‘Medley’, from “The Phantom of the Opera. It’s something I’ve been working on lately”.

“Why are you doing this?” – He asked quietly.

** _Because you are in a shitload of trouble. Because you are alone. Because I am alone, too, and I know how much it hurts. Because I love you and I care about you. Because we are family. _ **

– “You are my brother” – She shrugged. 

“Oh, come on. Seriously, Vanya. Why?”

“Why are you asking?” – She suddenly smiled, though her eyes remained cautious.

“Oh, I dunno. Guess I’m just not used to people being nice to me, not without a good solid reason, anyway”.

She sighed. “You were always nice to me” – She finally said. – “I was?!” – Klaus was genuinely surprised. – “Yes. And you never taunted me – not as a kid, for not having powers, and not after I wrote that stupid book. Actually, after Five disappeared and Ben died, you were the only sibling who was nice to me. Don’t get me wrong” – She suddenly interrupted herself. “I would still visit Diego, or Allison, even though they hate me. But in your case… I actually **_want_** to be there for you, Klaus. I want you to know that I care about you. You are not alone in this shit”. – She timidly touched his hand. Not very big on touching, his sister. Intimacy issues, as his rehab shrink would say.

Grunting with pain, Klaus slowly pulled himself up and opened his arms. “Come here, kiddo”. Her concerned glance met his smile. And suddenly her arms were around him, her chin hooked over his shoulder. He wrapped his right arm around her, gently pulling her closer until she melted into his warmth, her tiny body softening, relaxing against his. Klaus lightly kissed the top of her head, awkwardly resting his broken left arm on her back. Poor girl, she really needed a good hug.

And so did he.

Just a little moment of grace in the middle of shitstorm. Just a little piece of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Medley" from the "Phantom of the Opera" is the piece Vanya is originally playing in the 1st episode of TUA - you know, the one where we meet all the characters, before they find out Reginald died.


	5. A note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets worse before it gets better, and Vanya invites Klaus to come and stay with her.

*** After Christmas things took turn for the worse, and Klaus spent the New Year in ICU. Sean had no business being there, but whenever he could, he snuck out and watched Klaus through the glass– limp, jaundiced, entangled in tubes and wires. Barely alive. His left arm lay palm up alongside his body, and despite the cast, he could still see his tattoo: “Good Bye”. This broke Sean’s heart a little bit further every time. _**God, don’t let him die, just please, don’t let him die**_.

And then he would clock out and go home to his family and friends and his girlfriend, whom his parents adored.

Klaus could finally see Ben, but it’s like he was on the other bank of a river or something. He wasn’t talking to Klaus, just kept staring at him with endless sorrow, and Klaus couldn’t figure out what did he do wrong this time. Vanya wasn’t allowed in the ICU, but she would still come every day, talk to the doctors and sit for few hours in the hall – just in case. She convinced an ICU nurse to put the earbuds in his ears and keep the music playing in a loop, and through a sickening haze between life and death Klaus kept hearing the sweet sound of Vanya’s violin. It kept reminding him that he wasn’t alone. It kept summoning him back, to the land of the living. Like a lost child, he followed the sound and finally was able to get out of the woods.

“Tough motherfucker, that junkie” – Sean heard one of the older doctors say. – “We need more people like him in the army” – Another agreed.

He spent two more weeks in the hospital after that. Vanya visited him every day, helped with whatever she could, but mainly kept him company and provided support. She was there; she really was.

“So… what are going to do when you get out of here?” – She asked cautiously one day.

“Oh, I don’t know… thought of trying for NASA or somethin’. Why should Luther be the only Spaceboy in the family? I fly higher, anyway”.

“Klaus…”

He stopped laughing and rubbed his face tiredly. “I’m going to rehab” – He said flatly. “Because I don’t have a medical insurance, the social worker here worked out some sort of a deal – they treat me on a budget, but in exchange, I have to do an 8-weeks drug rehabilitation program. If I don’t, I could go to jail. And even if not… next time I end up in hospital…well, you know”.

Vanya felt a pang in her heart. For him, landing in a hospital again was a matter of “when”, not “if” – and that’s even not the worst thing that could (easily) happen. “Why don’t you…come and stay with me after the rehab?” – She suddenly offered. Klaus stared at her in surprise. “I mean…it’s not fancy, but we’ll get by. Just… just until you settle down and find something of your own. And I could help you looking for a job”. None of them even mentioned the possibility of calling Dad for help.

Klaus knew what it meant for her – letting someone into her home, into her secluded little shell.

“Are you sure about that?” – He finally asked. – “Yes. You know, it could actually be good for both of us.”

Klaus looked at her, long and hard, and his face slowly brightened. “Sure”, - He finally said. “Yes, sure, why not?.. Thanks, sis, I’d love to.” Suddenly he scooped her into his arms, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “Oh, Vanya… whatever would I do without you?!”

When Klaus got out of the rehab, it was already spring. Tiny little leafs were budding out on tree branches, the sky was bluer, cleaner, and there was a smell of something new and fresh in the air. First of all, he took a bus to this random guy with whom he was staying for a few nights before he got hospitalized, and got his scarce belongings (some of them were missing, and the dude had trouble remembering who Klaus was). Then he went to Vanya’s. She was still at the rehearsal, but she gave him the address and the key.

Her apartment was pretty small and neat. No TV, but few shelves with books. Lots of CDs and records. A ceramic bowl of chocolate-covered raisins on the kitchen counter.

Klaus opened the window and stared outside. There was a ghost of an old woman on the sidewalk, staring directly at him, her dead eyes gleaming with malice. 

This rehab thing won’t stick, he knew it even before he started. Because the ghosts will never leave him alone, and thus, he would never stay clean. And a life of a junkie… well, it’s a life of a junkie.

Suddenly he imagined nicking Vanya’s anti-anxiety pills, stealing money from her, pawning her violin to score. He imagined her being woken up in the middle of the night to come bail him out, or identify his body. Cops or people he owed money to banging on her door. He couldn’t do that to Vanya, he just couldn’t. And the only way to make sure it doesn’t happen… was to fuck off.

He found a pen and a piece of paper and wrote her a note.

“Vanya,

I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t stay with you, because I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to get mixed up in my junky bullshit. You are a good person, and you really don’t deserve it. I will call you whenever I can. Thank you for everything, sis, love you to the moon and back. Klaus”

He left the note on the coffee table. When he opened the door and closed it behind him, the draft swept the little piece of paper into the air and out of the open window. Vanya never saw it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I admit the final scene with Sean was NOT something I originally planned. It just sort of came to me after I finished writing the story, because I found the ending so, so sad and I just couldn't leave it at that.  
Thank you so much for kudos and comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I've been asked several times, so I thought of putting it here, just in case :)  
Benzodiazepines (aka "benzos") is a group of drugs which basically suppress the nervous system (often found in anti-anxiety, antipsychotic etc. meds, but also as a recreational drug). I figured that's what Klaus would use to avoid seeing ghosts. Just makes sense, somehow :) 
> 
> THC is the psychoactive component of weed (the stuff that makes you high ;) )
> 
> Hep B (unlike Hep C) is often transferred through unprotected sex, so along with Chlamydia (which is a mild STD) it's supposed to draw a picture of Klaus sleeping around and not being particularly careful, as he has no regard for his own life.  
I was actually having doubts, because Hep C could be contracted through dirty needles, which also fits the picture. In other words, I had to decide whether to make him more of a slut or a junky :) But he's more of a pill guy, anyway.
> 
> If you have any questions, or something doesn't make sense, I'm always here to answer and discuss :) Thank you so much for reading my stories and leaving kudos.


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